


The Heart of the Ocean

by MerWhoLocked



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Abandonment, Animal Traits, Creating Your Own Family, Discrimination, Emotionally Repressed, Eventual Smut, Everyone is Merfolk, Herd-like behavior, M/M, Mari is the best sister ever!, Merman!Victor, Merman!Yuuri, Not exactly homophobia but close, That Live in Pods, True Love, mermaids and mermen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 09:56:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9175195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerWhoLocked/pseuds/MerWhoLocked
Summary: Pods are what keep us safe, Yuuri had to remind himself. It was more than just a social construct. It was instinctive behavior, born from a desire to protect themselves from larger predators. From an early age, pups were taught this vital life lesson but Yuuri seemed to have the hardest time following the rules, creating resentment among the others in the pod. His own shy nature didn’t seem to help in that regard either and Yuuri found himself at odds with most of the other merfolk.But what happens when you don't have a pod anymore?After meeting Victor, Yuuri finally understands what it's like to be loved. A loving family isn't always the one your born into, sometimes it's the one you make for yourself. But can they survive an ocean full of predators and judgmental merfolk who won't accept them?





	

**Author's Note:**

> I've read so many amazing mermaid/mermen stories in this fandom and wanted to put my own spin on it. This came from the idea that Merfolk are herd-like creatures, living in large migrating pods. Those who choose to leave or are cast out don't survive very long. In my version, Merfolk are a true mixture of human and animal characteristics so you can't fully judge them by either standards. They are their own creatures with their own hierarchy and social constructs so take that into consideration.
> 
> Also, I didn't tag this because it does not become relevant in my story although it is implied. There is mention of incest (mating among those born in the same litter) but I will not feature any couples that are incestuous.

The ocean was crystal clear today. The pod had strayed close enough to the surface that the sunlight was refracting in the water, creating tendrils of dancing light in the iridescent blue waters. Schools of colorful fish swam around a curious dark-haired merman, idly circling the wisps of light and disappearing into a large reef nearby. It was mesmerizing and Yuuri desperately wanted to go and swim with them. He loved basking in the warm waters created by pockets of sunlight. Their normal migration path only took them to warmer waters once a year and he missed the calm currents.

“Yuuri, keep up!” His brood sister, Mari, shouted back at him, causing some of the other Merfolk in their pod to roll their eyes and grumble in irritation. Yuuri gasped, noticing a large gap had formed between him and the rest of the pod. He quickly swam after them, easily catching up to the retreating pod who hadn’t slowed their pace in the time it took for him to get distracted. They were headed back to warmer mating grounds yet he couldn’t stop himself from looking back at the open water he’d been admiring.

Pods are what keep us safe, Yuuri had to remind himself. It was more than just a social construct. It was instinctive behavior, born from a desire to protect themselves from larger predators such as sharks and sometimes desperate killer whales. While Merfolk were predators in their own right, with sharp claw-like nails and tough scales that protected their tails, a shark would have no problem taking down one by itself. It was safer to live in large pods where you could protect one another by taking dangerous threats on with a sheer mass. Those who left the pod or were cast out, did not usually survive long on their own.

From an early age, pups were taught this vital life lesson but Yuuri seemed to have the hardest time following the rules. This created resentment amongst the others and often led to keeping him on the outskirts of the pod. His own shy nature didn’t seem to help in that regard either and Yuuri found himself at odds with most of the other merfolk. He was quiet most of the time, preferring to keep to himself rather than socialize with the rest of the pod. There were only a few who seemed to care if he kept up at times and Yuuri was grateful for them. 

Mari and he were the only two left of their litter that had survived a vicious shark attack two seasons after Yuuri had been born. Although it had been an accident, Yuuri still bore the brunt of the blame for that attack. Even as a child, he’d tended to wander and though he hadn’t meant for his entire litter to follow him into open water, it was his mistake that had cost the pod three of their most defenseless.

“You’re thinking about it again,” Yuuko, his best friend and mermaid three seasons his senior, floated up next to him, while still causally keeping pace with the rest of the pod. They would reach their destination soon. Yuuri could already start to feel the difference in the temperature of the water.

“It’s not like anyone will let me forget,” Yuuri said bitterly.

“Stop being grumpy. It was a long time ago,” Yuuko replied, happily swimming in circles around him.

“I’m just tired.” Yuuri deflected, “We’ve been swimming all day and my fins are sore.” 

“Aw, cheer up. We’re almost there. Dad’s been keeping a tough pace but he’s only doing it for the safety of the pod. We left a little later this season than we usually do so he wants to get there before we run into any trouble.” Mari said coming up on the other side of him.

Pod hierarchy was chosen by who was the strongest hunter and the fastest swimmer. His dad had been the leader since before he was born but soon enough, a younger Merfolk would try and fight for the right to take his place. Yuuri was one of their fastest swimmers but he was too scrawny to be a challenge when it came to sheer strength. Even Mari was better competition than he was.

“Are you still going to challenge him this year?” Yuuri asked and Mari gave him a look that suggested he might have hit his head on something. 

“Of course I am!” Mari said, “As soon we have our coming of age ceremony, I’m going to show the pod that I am the best option for a leader.”

“Dad will be proud, I think. To lose to his own flesh and blood,” Yuuri said. He called Toshiyo his father only because he and Hiroko were the two that sired his litter though raising pups was a communal effort among the pod. It was very common to establish familial ties with someone who wasn’t your sire.

Yuuri was approaching twenty-three seasons, just shy of maturity and this season would mark his first year as a fully-grown, adult merman. He’d completed his hunters test last month with Mari and would be obligated to join this season’s mating ceremony.

“I wouldn’t be so sure!” Yuuko interjected excitedly, “Takeshi is also going up against him again this season and he’s gonna win this time!” Mari wasn’t too worried about it. This would be the fourth time he would attempt it, having lost three seasons in a row. 

“She has a point,” Yuuri added and then yelped when Mari punched him in the shoulder.

“You’re supposed to be on my side.” Mari reminded him, “Just because you have a crush on Yuuko does not mean you’re supposed to be rooting for the competition!” 

“M-Mari!” Yuuri replied, shooting Yuuko a mortified look as he rubbed his sore shoulder. Yuuko surprised him by laughing heartily and giving him a shrug of indifference.

“Hey, you never know. You could stand a chance. Your colors are attractive enough so I’d totally be willing to mate with you if you can impress me.” Yuuko said, grinning with no sign of the same embarrassment Yuuri was feeling.

“Besides, she’s already mated with Takeshi three seasons in a row. Maybe she’s finally getting bored of him.” Mari teased him, winking at Yuuko mischievously. 

Yuuri doubted it. Takeshi had taking a liking to Yuuko after their first mating, roughing up anyone who dared challenge him for the right to mate with her. Their first union had gifted them with a small litter of three but every season, Takeshi would always end up flaring his caudal fins at Yuuko first. Yuuko too seemed happy when Takeshi proved his worth and seemed to reserve a harsh judgement for anyone else who attempted. If things were different, Yuuri might have thought they were in love.

Love didn’t exist among merfolk, not in a romantic sense at least. There was familial love for the safety of the pod and rearing of pups but anything more monogamous was unheard of. From the rumors he’d overheard from other pods who had come into contact with them, humans were the romantic creatures, more often than not searching for one partner to settle down and mate with for the rest of their short lives. Driven by a more animalistic instinct, merfolk didn’t take lifelong mates and instead spent each mating season with a different partner. Mating was more a duty to reproduce than to form lasting relationships and it was common among pods to have numerous litters from different sires, all related to one another indirectly.

It wasn’t the first time that Yuuri felt different from others of his species but this was the biggest distinction he had discovered. He was jealous of the companionship having one lifelong mate encouraged, instead of the romantic detachment found among merfolk. 

“Look Yuuri, we’ve arrived!” Mari said and swam ahead to get a closer look in anticipation. Even Yuuko seemed excited about their upcoming mating and Yuuri sulked when she swam closer to Takeshi, sharing an affectionate smile with him. 

Their pod’s mating grounds were tucked away in a large cove surrounded on all sides by giant looming rocks. There was only one entrance located underwater and a series of small underwater caves that would house the entire pod. The cove game them the peace of mind and security to let their guards down since they were the most vulnerable during mating season when the instinct to mate surpassed their instinct to survive.

Yuuri slowed down and stared the cove with trepidation. The pod has been using this particular cove since before Yuuri was born and in all the years his pod been migrating to this spot, this was the first year the cove looked ominous instead of comforting.

&&  
The night before his coming of age ceremony was to be held, Mari found Yuuri hiding in one of the underwater caverns that he had claimed for his own. He was collecting seashells to add to his collection, examining each one carefully before either dropping it or stashing it away in his hidden spot at the back of the cave.

“Dad is looking for you,” Mari said frowning at him, “He had that look on his face again. The look that said he was secretly thinking of renouncing you.”

“I always go off alone after we arrive,” Yuuri shrugged indifferently, “I don’t see why he thought this year would be different. It’s not like I’m in any danger here.”

“You know why he’s looking for you. He wants to prepare you for tomorrow,” Mari shook her head in dismay at her stubborn younger brother, “Of course this year is different. You need to grow up and start acting like a real member of the pod or else you’re going to get into big trouble.”

“What if I don’t want to?” Yuuri replied immaturely. He felt safe enough talking so belligerently to Mari, trusting that she would never betray his confidence.

“Then you’re going to be cast out,” Mari said, blunt and unforgiving, “We’re not children anymore, Yuuri. We have to start making some contribution to the pod or they won’t tolerate us following them any longer. And if we don’t have a pod, we die. Is that what you want?” 

“No… I just… I don’t want…” Yuuri whimpered sadly and sunk to the ocean floor, wrapping his arms around himself. Mari’s eyes softened. Swimming closer, she curled his longer tail around hers soothingly and held him close. Touch was important for merfolk, often carrying more comfort than words ever could but wrapping tails together was seen as an intimate act, only used for mating or assurance among family pairs.

“It’s not going to be so bad.” She tried to stay positive even though she knew that her words were a lie. Yuuri was going to have a hard enough time as it was impressing a mate but his anxiety would only make it worse. Mari knew that if Yuuri didn’t have a reputation among their pod, he’d easily be considered one of the prettiest choices to mate and would have had plenty of eager mermaids to pick from.

She glanced down at Yuuri’s elaborate tail. Mermen tails were longer than humans assumed, wide at the hips where thick rubbery skin amalgamated into hard scales and then narrowed to a thin point like a sea serpent. They had large caudal fins on the end of their tail that flared out widely and long dorsal and pelvic fin that lined the length on the sides of their tail. Smaller anal fins near a quarter of the way down his tail were used to help make sharp, quick turns while swimming. The color of a merman’s tail was traditionally two toned, their scales a different color than their fins to help attract a mate.

A mermaid had a shorter and wider tail, with only one singular dorsal fin and split caudal fins at the end. They only had one base color that was not as varied as their male counterparts. Biologically, mermen had longer tails to wrap around a female during mating to help impregnation. 

Yuuri’s coloring was exceptionally rare. His scales were midnight blue with tiny iridescent specks near his torso that reflected to make it look like his tail was shimmering in the light. His fins were a remarkably beautiful mixture of two colors, starting out as dark purple at the base of the fin and changed to green towards the tips. 

Mari’s light pink colored tail contrasted greatly against his own and her chest puffed out in pride when she thought of her brothers beautiful tail. If she wasn’t creeped out by the thought of mating with her brother, she would totally go for him during the mating ceremony.

“You’ve just gotta get through this. Show the pod that you are willing to put forth the effort and they will all come around. We’ve had plenty of litters since ours was killed and you’re not to blame for that. We were just pups at the time so they shouldn’t have let us wander so far out of the pod before anyone noticed.” Mari said nuzzling him. Her short blonde and brown hair tickled the sensitive skin underneath his chin, causing Yuuri to giggle inappropriately.

“Feeling better?” Mari said as they separated. Yuuri gave her a weak smile and nodded.

“Good,” she said, not totally believing him but it was better than nothing, “Now go find dad. I’m sure he’s pretty upset but he’s always had a soft spot for you.”

Yuuri sighed and with great reluctance, left the safety of the cave in search for his father.

&&

“It is with great pride and joy that we welcome new members into the pod. They have each passed their hunters test and will join this year’s mating season for the first time.” Toshiyo said, his words ringing out in the silence of the pod. Yuuri, Mari and two others were being honored today. Tonight they would feast on the finest selection of fish their hunters had gone out and collected in celebration and tomorrow they would mate. It was a sacred tradition governed by carnal impulse.

Yuuri wasn’t looking forward to either event. His stomach was in knots and he felt sick from the thought of his performance tomorrow. In order to impress a mate, he would have to prove his worth both in a display of beauty and strength to prove he could provide protection for both his mate and pups. With so many other capable Mermen to pick from, Yuuri felt like his chances of a successful mating were slim to none. But in order to prove himself to the pod, he had to prove himself as a virile merman.

So many things were changing. This would also be the first season, Toshiyo would not be participating, which gave furthering speculation that he was ready to step down as leader and was only waiting for a proper challenger to face him. Mari hoped it would be her despite her young age. Takeshi, four years her senior, had a better chance at it beating him due to his size and strength but she was smart and stubborn.

Toshiyo placed a ring of kelp around his neck when it was Yuuri’s turn, symbolizing his placement in the pod. He was the last one to receive it and there was a round of cheers when it was all said and done. Yuuri shared one last look with Toshiyo, who was watching him closely, and felt determined to prove himself. He could do this.

As the celebration continued, Yuuri’s determination slowly waned. With some obvious exceptions, everyone was skillfully avoiding him, leaving him to his own traitorous thoughts. Minako, the den mother in charge of keeping track of the pups, stopped by to give him a congratulatory hug. She’d always had a soft spot for the pups she’d helped raise and Yuuri was of the most challenging and rewarding. She was proud of him despite what the others thought. It was her greatest failure what had happened to Yuuri’s litter and she had come to care for both Yuuri and Mari particularly in an attempt to make up for it. 

When the sea turned dark with the passing day, Yuuri escaped from the celebration to the seclusion of his cave and one disturbed him for the rest of the night. Both Mari and Minako figured he needed some time to mentally prepare for the coming day.

When morning came, Yuuri had barely slept. He was the only one of the pod who was awake this early and his anxiety about the upcoming mating caused him get up and wander. He eventually found himself at the entrance to the cove, staring out into the endless depths of the ocean. He’d never had the courage to travel where his pod would not go and for good reason. But a part of him wanted to take off and leave the pod behind to explore the parts of ocean he’d never seen before. 

Yuuri sighed wistfully, trying to ignore the growing itch. He knew it was foolhardy and dangerous. Anything could be out there, waiting for him to separate from the pod. 

The area didn’t appear to be dangerous and hunters had scouted for fish the day before without running into anything. Maybe he could just go out for a short time and be back before anyone realized he was gone? He impulsively made his decision and spent the morning swimming back and forth between beds of seaweed and chasing schools of fish through a large reef with no real intention of catching them. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he lost track of the time, failing to pay attention to his surroundings.

“YUURI, LOOK OUT!” Mari’s shout of warning came just in time and Yuuri quickly darted away from the hammerhead that had been hunting him, barely managing to move quick enough to not get bitten in half. He swam up and away, quickly trying to dodge the apex predator while not leading him back to the pod. 

The shark kept up with him easily and Yuri was becoming desperate when he realized that he wasn’t going to get back without endangering himself or the pod. He was just about to give up and head for deeper water when a large force barreled into the shark behind him. 

“GET BACK TO THE COVE,” Takeshi yelled as he fought to hold onto the struggling creature, his bright red and yellow tail flailing underneath him. Two other merman joined him, using sharp rocks to defend themselves against the shark’s rows of barbed teeth. Yuuri didn’t dare disobey and quickly swam back to the safety of the cove. Mari pulled him away from the others when he arrived, shielding him from their oppressive glares. She forcefully dragged him into the seclusion of his cave and Yuuri was ashamed when he noticed that his sister wouldn’t look him in the eye.

“I’m going to go see what happened. Stay here.” She ordered, only half expecting him to follow her instructions.

“Oh, Yuuri. What have you done?” she mumbled sadly before departing to see if anyone had gotten hurt from her brothers selfish stunt.

Yuri had no plans to defy her, curling up in the back of the cave miserably as the full weight of his actions hit him. He could have died. Worse yet, Takeshi could be seriously hurt. At least before his actions had only affected himself but now that Takeshi was involved, he had put others at risk as well.

It seemed like days before someone finally came for him and Yuuri was upset when he realized it was his father, not Mari, who would be less lenient with him. He watched silently as the older merman swam closer, staring at him with a detached look on his face.

“Do you realize how much distress you have caused pod?” Toshiyo spoke coldly, “Takeshi was gravely injured though with some healing ointment and time, he will make a full recovery. He will not be able to participate in mating this year due to his injuries and Yuuko has graciously volunteered to stay behind as well to take care of him.” 

Yuuri nodded demurely, “I understand. I know that I made mistake.” 

“What were you thinking, Yuuri?” Toshiyo said, the sound of his voice raising to just under a shout, “You know that it’s forbidden to leave the pod by yourself and yet you flaunt the rules every chance you get. I’ve covered for you with the pod in the past, giving the excuse of youthful indiscretions but now I can see that I have been far too lenient with you. What you did today was reckless and selfish!”

“No father!” Yuuri begged, “It was an accident. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“Whatever your intentions, I cannot allow this behavior to continue for the welfare of the pod. I’ve overlooked your irresponsible actions too many times and the pod is urging me make this decision,” Toshiyo continued, face pinched in sadness. He looked so much older than his eighty seasons, worn down by the weight of command but he had to think of others before his own feelings on the matter. Yuuri had proven today that he was just as much a danger to the pod as the shark was.

“Please,” Yuuri begged, shaking his head, “Don’t.”

“You have until midday to collect what you need and say your goodbyes before leaving, Yuuri. I’m sorry it has to be this way.” Toshiyo replied, standing firm.

“Where will I go?” Yuuri asked, biting his lip as his heart raced wildly in both anticipation and fear. Wasn’t this what he’d always wanted but was too scared to do?

“Your heart has never been with this pod. It has always been out there, in some distant sea. I hope you find what you’ve been searching for.” Toshiyo said and left the cave before Yuuri could refute his claim, making it clear that his decision was absolute. Yuuri had been cast out by popular choice.

His heart ached as he curled up, holding his arms and tail close as his body went into shock. Mari appeared a few moments later, speechless.

“I’m so sorry.” Yuuri cried, “This is all my fault!”

Mari silently approached him and hugged him tightly to her chest for what they both knew was going to be the last time. Even if Yuuri managed to survive on his own or find another pod to take him in, she would never be allowed to see him again unless she decided to leave the pod on her own volition. She would never admit it but she wasn’t brave enough to consciously make that decision. Yuuri had always been braver than her.

“Is Yuuko mad at me?” he finally asked after a long moment of silence.

“I don’t know. She’s been busy taking care of Takeshi and Toshiyo wanted them to have their privacy.” Mari replied truthfully. 

“Toshiyo?” Yuuri asked in confusion, “Since when have you called him anything but dad?”

“We all have to grow up some time,” Mari replied miserably, running a hand through her brother’s short black hair, “Besides, after today I don’t think I will ever be able to consider him my dad again.”

“You don’t have to ruin your relationship with him just for me, Mari.” Yuuri protested but Mari put a finger to his lips, flicking him lightly with her tail in punishment.

“Yuuri, today made me realize that I don’t have a relationship with him. I made one up just to feel better about the fact that you were the only one I’ve ever been close to.” Mari said sadly, “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too,” Yuuri said and it was then that the reality of his situation finally hit him. He was going to be all alone, in the vast emptiness of the ocean, with nothing familiar to cling onto.

“Hey, you gotta calm down,” Mari said, heart aching at the sight of her little brother’s panic, “If you’re going to survive by yourself, you have to have all your wits about you. You gotta stay strong.”

Slowly he was able to calm himself down and Yuuri realized his time was growing short. He couldn’t linger much longer judging by the receding light. 

“C’mon,” Mari said pulling him towards the entrance of the cave, “Let’s get you some food before you have to leave and let anyone else come say their goodbyes,”

She was talking about Yuuko of course but Yuuri didn’t want to pull her away from Takeshi.

“She’s going to be upset when she realizes you left without saying goodbye,” Mari told him but he stubbornly refused. Her time was better spent taking care of Takeshi and truthfully he didn’t think he could face her anger and disappointment. It was better not knowing how much he had hurt her. 

“Tell her that I’m sorry and that I wished that I had been able to mate with her despite everything. Also tell Takeshi thank you. He didn’t have to risk his life to come and save me but he did.” He told Mari just as Minako came up and gave him a big hug.

“You be careful now, remember what you learned in your hunting lessons. Sharks are fast and aggressive but if you can defend yourself with just as much aggression than you can sometimes get them to leave you alone. Like a dolphin. And killer whales will only try and hunt you if there isn’t any easier prey to find,” she whispered to him and he nodded, taking the advice to heart. He was sorry that he never tried to form a bond with Minako after leaving her care. She obviously still held him in high regard.

“I will,” Yuuri whispered, “Like a dolphin,”

“They act like they’re as dumb as barnacles but they’re actually really smart and good at defending themselves,” Minako replied, smiling faintly.

Yuuri laughed, giving Minako one last hug and then turned to face Toshiyo and Hiroko.

Both his mother and father gave him identical looks of profound disappointment mixed with a little bit of despair. Neither of them said anything or made move to hug him so he didn’t try and extend the courtesy on his end. He was sad enough as it was and didn’t think he could take any more pity from those who had sired him.

“I guess it’s time.” Yuuri said turning back to Mari, who had promised to swim with him as far as the entrance to the cove. She handed a few fish to snack on for later and offered him one last hug before he left. She watched him go with a heavy heart and he quickly faded into the obscurity of the ocean.

When he was far enough away, he turned to see his sister take a deep breath and turn her back to him, heading back into the safety of the pod. He needed to find shelter for the night and would continue his journey in the morning.

He didn’t know where he was going but he knew that in order to survive he had to be smart about it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think, comments help my muse write faster.


End file.
